Hello good people and welcome back. My goodness how far this story has come. 50 chapters, half a million words, and over 1,000 reviews! That's honestly stunning for me as I never expected anything like that when I started writing this story. I think I initially thought this story was going to be ONLY 50 or so chapters, so yeah, color me surprised. At the rate we're going, it's very possible this story will be 100+ chapters, but I guess we'll all have to wait and see. Regardless of what's to come, I just wanted to thank all you guys for your support. It really does warm my heart when I read your reviews and to know that so many of you enjoy my story. So, again, thank you.
Anyway, speaking of story, it's time to get back to it. We still have a war to fight, feelings to deal with, and people plotting, so let's jump in.
I do not own Danmachi
Aiz and Bell entered the Mania apartments arm-in-arm and beaming. They began making their way to their room, ready to get some rest, when they ran into Achilles.
"Oh, evening you two. Did you enjoy your time in the city?" the ex-captain asked.
"Yeah," Bell said.
"Yes. Very much so," Aiz added.
"Great. Well, I won't keep you."
"Actually," Bell said suddenly. "Aiz, do you mind if I have a quick talk with my dad?"
She shook her head.
"Not at all," she replied. "I'll just go get ready for bed."
"Thank you," her lover said, giving her one of his wonderful smiles before kissing her cheek.
Now beaming even more brightly, Aiz headed off, leaving Bell and Achilles alone.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Achilles asked.
Bell lost his smile before taking a deep breath.
"I've decided to not pursue Haruhime."
"Oh?" the former captain replied, a tad surprised. "Are you sure? I don't want to sound like I'm patronizing you, Bell. Please know that's not my intention. I completely understand why you wouldn't decide to pursue her and support your decision, whatever it is, but there can be repercussions for denying your feelings."
"I know, but I also know I'd never forgive myself if I did anything even remotely close to being unfaithful to Aiz, and holding feelings for someone else is definitely close," Bell said, before going quiet for a moment. Achilles said nothing, knowing the young man wasn't done. "Haruhime is wonderful. In so many ways. I truly believe she is one of the most beautiful people that has ever lived," he smiled. "And I do want her to be happy. But loving her would be tainted by my relationship with Aiz. Even if Aiz were to agree to it happily, even if she were to encourage it, I think a relationship with Haruhime would only lead to unfairness," his smile dropped as he looked deep into his father's eyes. "I appreciate that you believe I can love more than one person without diminishing my love for them, but I don't want to risk not giving either of them the love they deserve or, worse yet, hurting them. The only way I could ever be in such a relationship would be if I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that you were right about me."
Achilles nodded, before smiling and gently stroking his son's hair.
"You are an incredibly noble soul, Bell. I'm truly not sure there's anyone who compares, at least not amongst the living. The Argonaut perhaps. Maybe Albert Waldstein," his smile softened before he added. "The only person I know who could equal you was Briseis."
Bell knew he wouldn't say that lightly and was truly touched by the comparison. As such, he quickly hugged his father, who happily returned it.
The hug lasted a good minute, before they parted and smiled at each other.
"Alright, you've been decisive and made your decision after careful consideration. That's something few in all history have been able to do, so be proud of that," Achilles said. "Now though, you must live with the decision, both the good and bad consequences, whatever they will be."
"I will," Bell affirmed.
"Good. Then off with you, I'm sure Aiz is eagerly awaiting your return."
Bell nodded and with one more quick hug, he ran off, leaving Achilles alone.
I am proud of you, Bell. Truly. But I am worried for you. Denying love can be just as painful as love denied, I think. You love Aiz, that's very clear. And you want to be faithful, which is very noble. However, unless you can find some way to stop loving Haruhime, which given her beauty as a person, is doubtful, then you are very likely to suffer in the future. I hope not, but I fear you will, he sighed as his thoughts turned to the golden renard. And naturally I feel bad for poor Haruhime. She likely doesn't know how Bell feels, at least I hope she doesn't, that would just make this situation worse. Well, whatever the case, it appears he's now out of reach, another, even heavier sigh. Hopefully she'll find someone to love in time. They aren't going to be half as good as Bell, but at least she'll be loved.
Achilles stood silently in the hall for a few more moments, weighed down by his concerns until he decided it was no more use thinking on such matters. What would be, would be.
Hopefully some time with Riveria will ease away my concerns.
He smiled at the thought of his beloved elf and turned and headed back towards their room, intent on showing her how much he loved and cherished her.
Morning had arrived and with it, the second day of battle for the Orario expedition.
The fighters had gathered outside the city like the day before, and Achilles was bidding everyone farewell.
"Keep each other safe and do your best. That's all anyone can ask of you," he said.
"We will," Haruhime said alongside the others.
Achilles spared her a quick glance, smiling sadly at her for just a moment, before turning away.
"Alright, then I'll head out," he continued.
"Good hunting," Riveria said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"You as well."
A moment later, the Father On High was shooting into the air towards the Rakian lines in search of the God of War.
Haruhime watched him go alongside the others, but unlike them, she watched him with confused eyes.
Why did he look sad for a moment? she wondered.
She would not receive an answer, not only because she could not ask the man himself, but also because, at that moment, Agrippina approached with a smile on her face.
"Good morning, Haruhime-chan!" she greeted far too familiarly.
Haruhime tensed and her eyes widened as the Athena vice-captain approached her, looking like she wanted a hug.
Luckily for the sweet renard, her familia jumped in between them, stopping Agrippina in her tracks.
"What are you doing?" the vice-captain asked with unmistakable annoyance.
"We're keeping you from Haruhime-sama," Mikoto replied sternly.
"Why would you do that?"
"Did you really think that Lili wouldn't tell her familia about what you and your familia wanted?" the prum asked, stepping forward.
Agrippina sneered at her.
"I was simply looking after Haruhime-chan's best interest," she said as calmly as she was able.
"My best interest is to stay with my familia," the renard jumped in.
The strength of her voice and the power in her eyes was honestly surprising even for the Hestia familia, but it properly stunned Agrippina for a moment. Only after shaking her head to recompose herself did the vice-captain respond.
"There is so much Athena-sama can offer you, Haruhime-chan. Far more than the miniscule Hestia familia ever could."
The Hestia familia glared and growled at her, but allowed Haruhime to respond as she wished.
"It cannot offer me a family. Not like the one I already have. So please, Agrippina-sama, tell Athena-sama that I will not be leaving the Hestia familia."
Agrippina stared at her with desperate pleading eyes. She silently begged her newly beloved renard to reconsider. Yet, Haruhime wouldn't, and it stung.
Why?! Why won't she even consider it? What does the Hestia familia have that we don't? That I don't?!
Then she remembered what, or more accurately who, the the Hestia familia had.
"This is because of him isn't it?" she spat.
The intensity of her rage startled everyone for a moment, though even so, it did not take long for them to figure out who she meant.
"If you mean, Bell-sama, yes, he is part of the reason," Haruhime answered.
"He can never love you like I could!" Agrippina roared. "No man can love as well as a woman! They are two selfish and perverse!"
Ironic for you to say that, given what Lili saw, the young prum maiden noted.
"Bell-sama is neither of those things, and I would appreciate you not being so unkind to him," Haruhime responded. This only served to hurt and enrage the vice-captain more.
"He has her!" she pointed at Aiz. "He has already put his paws all over her. Tainting her with his disgusting flesh!" None of the Loki familia took that comment particularly well, not liking their familia member being referred to as "tainted". Lefiya actually began to chant a spell before Riveria managed to stop her, and it was only due to Aiz herself jumping in that Tiona didn't cut Agrippina in half. Yet, somehow, the vile spewing woman failed to notice all of this. "The Sword Princess! He will never come to you, and if he does, it will be as nothing more than a mere concubine!"
"And I would accept that position should he offer it."
Dozens of gobsmacked faces turned to Haruhime who, though blushing, managed to keep her back straight and eyes forward.
"W-What?" Agrippina asked, refusing to believe her ears.
"If Bell-sama wanted me as his concubine, I would accept that position in a heartbeat," she replied calmly before turning to Aiz who was just as wide-eyed as the others. "I know you have Bell's heart and I would never try to break the sanctity of your union. However, should you be willing, I will happily take that secondary position. To have even an ounce of Bell's love would be more than enough joy to last an eternity."
I don't know whether to be impressed by this young woman or scream at her to run for her life, Riveria thought as she looked at Haruhime.
Aiz wasn't faring any better, her brain having fried at the renard's blunt admission. She knew, of course, of the other girl's wanting Bell, but she wasn't aware that their affections for her lover went so far as to place themselves second to her.
Wouldn't that mean that...we would...all be in a relationship...together? she thought.
That fried what was left of her brain as her face burst into blinding scarlet and she began to sway where she stood.
"Aiz-san?! Are you alright?!"
Lefiya's cry brought everyone back and they refocused on the Sword Princess who was doing her best not to faint at the idea in her head. The only one who was calm and maintaining her wits, was Haruhime, who giggled.
"My apologies, that was rude to bring up in public. Yet it is the truth," she said, turning back to Agrippina. "Should it be Bell and Aiz's wish, I will take a secondary position under her."
Aiz finally fell over, unable to take anymore, causing her familia to rush to her.
"This is utterly ridiculous," Dido growled as Ajax and Patroclus laughed.
"You...you are making a grave mistake, Haruhime-chan. Throwing your life away for some...man," Agrippina growled.
"Bell-sama gave me a life to live in the first place. He may do with it as he sees fit," she replied without reservation.
Agrippina looked ready to cry, or vomit, or both, but instead she simply turned her head away in disappointed rage and ordered her familia to follow her.
"Well, I suppose that's resolved, at least for now," Ryuu said, watching them go.
"Yeah. Didn't go quite as I expected, but can't say it went horribly either," Welf said with a smile.
"Speak for yourself!" Lili cried before she turned her eyes to a now shaking Haruhime. "What do you mean, you'll happily take a 'secondary position'!" she roared.
"I-I," Haruhime tried.
"You are nowhere near high enough to do that! Lili has been with him the longest! She gets the secondary position if anyone does!" the prum cried.
"Excuse me?" Ryuu asked, her voice turning cold and challenging.
"Oh boy," Welf said as Mikoto jumped in to try and calm things down.
Nearby Ajax and Patroclus were laughing harder while Dido looked ready to kill someone.
"If anyone gets a secondary position with Aiz-san, it's me!" Lefiya declared, jumping into the mess.
"Lefiya, this is not the time," Riveria scolded.
It had taken a while for things to calm down and for Ais to regain her senses, but eventually everything had returned to normal, or as normal as it could be with Aiz staring at Haruhime warily and blushing.
The groups had split up just like the day before, the lower levels going to protect the villages and deal with the monster hordes while the higher levels dealt with the main Rakian army and the mercenary adventurers.
"So, according to the Athenian intelligence, there are several mercenary adventurer camps not far from here," Riveria informed them.
"Then it's time for us to put our war faces on," Ajax stated.
He, Patroclus, Galadriel and Dido turned to Imilce who nodded and began chanting.
"Oh heavenly mother, bestow us, thy children, with your divine blessing. Give us the strength to defeat our enemies, the speed to drive them from the field, and the endurance to destroy them utterly. Guard us against their strikes and arrows so that we may return to your loving arms. Bless us oh great Olympian mother. Juno Regina!"
Purple light surrounded the Zeus and Hera members, Imilce's spell greatly boosting their stats in preparation for battle.
"Alright, we're going to take the lead this time. The Rakians recognize you lot and personally, I don't feel like spending half the day running after them," Ajax said, half joking, half completely serious.
"Fair enough," Riveria said.
"Kick their butts, big guy!" Tiona shouted, smiling brightly.
He laughed.
"Oh, we can do that. Just stand back and enjoy the show," he said.
"Are you ever going to actually begin?" Dido asked, her eyes and voice as harsh as ever.
"No need to get your granny-panties in a twist Dido," he shot back, fully pissing her off. "Come on Patroclus, let's go remind those Rakian assholes what the Zeus familia can do."
"Gladly," the young swordsman replied.
A moment later, the two, along with Galadriel, rushed off towards the camps, leaving behind a furious Dido, who followed a moment after, and Imilce who stayed behind.
"Are we just going to leave things to them, Riveria-sama?" Lefiya asked.
"We'll act as reserves for now," she responded. "Ajax wasn't wrong when he pointed out that the Rakians know who we are, which encourages them to flee. That naturally makes things harder for us. Still, we can cover them and switch out with them when, or perhaps I should say, if, they get tired."
"That sounds a bit boring," Tiona said. "But I do want to see what those guys can do! I didn't get to see them yesterday since I was so busy kicking butt!"
Riveria, Aiz, and Imilce chuckled, while Lefiya softly chided her.
"I'm sure Ajax won't mind having an audience," Imilce said pleasantly.
"Then we'd best go catch up with them," Riveria said.
Ajax landed in the middle of the first mercenary camp, shocking the dozens of adventurers there.
"Morning fellas," he greeted.
The mercenary adventurers grabbed their weapons and rushed towards him, which only served to increase the size of his smile.
Bending his knees, he waited for them to get in range and then, with a force that would make the Goliath jealous, he swung his great mace.
"Hammer of Hercules!" he roared.
His mighty mace soon crashed through half a dozen adventurers, sending them all flying and, at the same time, sending a rush of air crashing through a good chunk of the camp.
The mercenaries, shocked and horrified, stopped in their tracks, which served Ajax just fine.
Swinging around, he gave the same treatment to the rest of the adventurers around him, sending dozens of them flying and destroying a large chunk of their camp.
But the Zeus strongman wasn't nearly done. He went on the offensive, knocking around the mercenaries like a child knocks around blocks. Sometimes he sent only one flying. Sometimes two. Sometimes whole groups, along with tents, weapons, and armor were sent into the air as if a hurricane or tornado was ripping through the camp.
"Come on guys!" Ajax bellowed. "Show a little resilience!"
Few of the mercenaries were inclined to do so, and most tried to flee from the terrifying mass of muscle. However one, a large boaz, did make his way towards Ajax.
Though not as tall as Ottar and nowhere near as powerful, he didn't appear to be a pushover, and approached Ajax with a great axe slung over his shoulder.
"Would you look at that, a challenger," the Zeus adventurer said, waiting for the mercenary to draw near.
The boaz reached within striking distance and stared into the smiling face of Ajax, before growling and lifting his axe above his head.
"Cleaver!" he roared.
The boaz threw down the axe with all his strength, intending to cut Ajax in two from balls to brain, however, to his great shock, Ajax simply reached up and caught the blade.
"Not too bad," Ajax complimented. "Let me guess...level three?"
The boaz did not respond.
"Eh, doesn't matter, it's not good enough," he punctuated this by shattering the axe blade in his hand.
The boaz stumbled back, shocked then horrified as he stared down at what remained of his weapon.
"I do appreciate you actually stepping forward, kiddo. As such," Ajax struck out faster than the boaz could react and knocked him out with a hit to the head. "I'll just give you a headache to remember me by," the father of four said, before turning his smiling eyes to the rest of the mercenaries. "So...who's next?"
The response to his question was for all the nearby adventurers to run in the opposite direction.
"Oh come on, I thought we weren't going to do this today," he groaned as he ran after them.
Not far away from the maceman, Patroclus was faring as well, if not better as he cut through the Rakian mercenaries with ease.
This is how you do it, Sword Princess, he thought as he cut through another three adventurers. Gracefully, but with enough style and flair to impress.
He parried one adventurer's blade then seamlessly countered with a cut to the neck, sending him sprawling to the ground. He then quickly dealt with a second's spear, using his sword to force it into a third adventurer who was trying to attack him from behind. As the second mercenary reeled in shock at having accidentally stabbed her ally, Patroclus counterattacked and tore her apart, before knocking out the adventurer behind him.
With these three now defeated, Patroclus turned his eyes towards the remaining adventurers around him, all of whom looked far from willing to go on the offensive.
If they won't come to me, I'll come to them.
Patroclus charged, startling the adventurers directly in front of him. One tried to stop him with a pair of knives, but the Zeus swordsman easily battered them away and cut them to ribbons.
Behind this adventurer was a mage who began to chant. Patroclus, however, pulled out a knife of his own and sent it crashing through the mage's staff and into her shoulder, making her cry out as they fell.
With the mage and their spell dealt with, Patroclus shifted his eyes back to the other adventurers. About five remained, the others having fled in terror.
The first attacked with a desperate cry and was dealt with after a quick parry and cut across the abdomen. The second tried to defend herself by holding up her halberd, but Patroclus's sword cut straight through it and delivered a long, diagonal cut to her chest. The third raised his shield in hopes of holding Patroclus off long enough for the archer and mage behind him to do some damage, but Patroclus simply bypassed his defenses by skidding across the ground at the last moment and cutting the man's heel. Once the man was sent to his knees, he delivered a quick hit to his helmet, sending him crashing to the ground, which left only the archer and mage. The archer sent an arrow at Patroclus's eye, but he caught the missile and crushed it in his hands. This display caused the archer to throw down her bow and drop to her knees as she began to plead for mercy. This was given in the form of a quick chop to the neck. This left only the mage who, in one final act of desperation, sent out a wave of ice magic, hoping to encase the Zeus familia member in a glacier. For one, quiet moment, he thought he had succeeded, only to have that illusion shattered when Patroclus cut him across the back.
With his enemies now laying before him, Patroclus looked around.
I wish Achilles was here to see how far I've come.
Dido was fuming as she made her way through the camp.
Leave it to the men to not focus on what really matters.
A Rakian soldier and a mercenary tried to stop her, but she tore them apart with her dual axes without even breaking stride. She did however take a moment to look at her newly replaced axe.
He broke it in his hand, she thought with rage and fear. He didn't even consider me a threat.
Her fists tightened as her eyes returned to the group of adventurers and soldiers rushing towards her.
In an even more foul mood now, she showed them no mercy. She hewed through their limbs, attacked their vitals viciously, and left their bodies strewn across the ground as she continued forward, not even caring to look back.
There's more than just me to worry about, boy, she growled to herself.
She continued her assault through the camp until she found her target, the commander's tent.
Two guards tried to stop her, but their reward for their idiocy was an axe embedded into each head.
Retrieving her weapons, Dido barged into the tent without ceremony, finding several Rakians inside, including one obvious commander who was trying to pack up his things and leave.
Noticing her, the commander's men attacked her after shouting at their commander to flee. In the wretched mood that she was, Dido was not about to chase after the Rakian commander, and so quickly threw one of her axes, lopping off his leg.
As the commander cried out, she blocked an attack from one of the guards with her remaining axe before lopping off his head so it could join his commander's leg.
This caused the other guards to pause, which gave her enough time to vent her rage upon them in a manner befitting her fury.
When the last of the guards were annihilated, Dido turned to the commander and his aid, who was trying his best to bandage up his superior officer.
Sensing her, the two Rakians turned to her, only for the Hera captain to throw her other axe into the aid's forehead, killing him.
The commander cried out and tried to scoot himself away from his subordinate's body. However, he was stopped when Dido reached him and pressed her heel against his severed leg.
The man cried out in agony, but Dido didn't care, she simply leaned down and said.
"If you don't want to die...talk."
Galadriel watched her old friends attack the Rakians from a distance.
"It is nice to be back together," she said with a smile.
Part of her did wonder if she should join them, but she decided against it.
"If I jump in, it'll be over in a flash. Where's the fun in that?"
That did leave her to deal with her own boredom however. Luckily, not even a minute later, her ears picked up the sound of something approaching.
She turned her head and discovered that a large group of monsters was approaching the camp.
"It seems the Rakians heard that this one was being overrun and decided to cut their losses," she reasoned. "Very well then, I'll go deal with the ants then go find whoever was foolish enough to think that this would stop us."
Making her way slowly towards the horde of monsters, she stopped when she decided she was close enough and raised her arms.
"I call upon the greatest fire of all to come to me so I may incinerate my enemies. Let all burn before our combined might," she chanted.
The horde of monsters now only a hundred feet or so away, zeroed in on her and charged with renewed vigor. Yet, unbeknownst to these creatures, it was already far too late.
With a voice bordering on unnatural calm, she said.
"Solaris."
A beam of blinding light burst from her palms and rushed straight towards the blinded monsters. In less than a second, all of the monsters, hundreds of goblins, needle rabbits, warshadows, and even a few minotaurs, were reduced to ash by the power of Galadriel's spell. In fact, the spell was so powerful, that the nearby forest had burst into flames and a good chunk of it was reduced to little more than firewood.
"Oops," Galadriel said as she noticed the burning forest. "I guess I should have taken my position more into account. Oh well," she said with a shrug. "I'll just put those out then go find those foolish tamers."
"Geez! What was that?!" Tiona asked as she rubbed her eyes.
"That was Galadriel's Solaris, a powerful Light spell that uses the power of the sun to turn everything to ash," Riveria answered as she blinked to try and fix her own gaze.
"Well I'd wish she'd warned us before doing that," Tiona complained. "Still, that's pretty awesome! These guys are definitely Big Daddy's old teammates! I hope we can have a proper spar one day!" she added with a smile.
"Perhaps you will," Riveria replied with a smile. "And can we assume that 'Big Daddy' is your official new nickname for Achilles?"
"Yep! It fits doesn't it? Him being all big and strong and Argonaut-kun's dad," the amazon replied, which made Riveria chuckle.
"I suppose it's as good as any," she agreed.
"It sounds rather...inappropriate to me," Lefiya said, blushing lightly.
"Oh lighten up, girly. What? You don't like 'em big?"
The Loki familia turned, losing their smiles as Argana strode forward.
"I was beginning to wonder where you and your sister had been hiding all this time," Riveria said, barely stopping herself from glaring at the Kali familia co-captain.
"We haven't been hiding, we've just been trying to find some decent men to play with amongst the Rakians and mercenaries, but they're all worthless disappointments, not like 'Big Daddy'. He's definitely not a disappointment," she said, licking her lips.
Now Riveria was glaring and didn't even try to hide as she strode up to Argana.
"He is off limits," she warned.
Argana smirked.
"You think you're strong enough to stop me, knife-ears?" she mocked.
"I am more than enough to stop you."
The amazon's smirk grew.
"Shall we test that theory?"
Lefiya and Aiz moved to intercept the two, knowing it was probably not a good idea for two level-sixes to have the world's greatest cat-fight on an active battlefield. Tiona, however, noticed something or, more accurately, the lack of someone.
"Where's Bache?"
Everyone's attention turned away from the fight and to Tiona.
"Bache? She's not here," Argana answered, as if annoyed to be distracted by the idea of her sister.
"Where is she?" Aiz asked, not liking the idea of the amazon who had shown interest in Bell going missing.
Noting the tone and the uneasy way Aiz was looking at her, Argana soon regained her smile.
"Oh that's right, you and the rabbit-boy are supposed to be a thing, right?" she said, her voice dripping with venom.
"Bell and I are together," Aiz answered firmly.
"Hm, well, maybe that was the case this morning. Now however…"
"What do you mean, 'now'?" Riveria asked, not liking where this was going.
"Well, the reason my sister isn't here is because she stayed behind back in Athens. You see, she wanted some alone time with that boy who beat her. Bell, was it?" she asked, focusing back on Aiz who looked ready to rip out her heart.
"Why?" the Sword Princess demanded, ready to force the amazon to spill everything she knew. Luckily for Argana, she was more than happy to simply tell the blonde swordswoman.
"Because she's planning on claiming him as hers of course. Get her fill of 'rabbit meat' as it were."
The air instantly got colder.
"A-Aiz-san?" Lefiya called, shaking.
"Aiz…" Riveria tried.
"She's...going to try and claim Bell?" Aiz's quiet, and unnaturally cold voice asked.
"She may already have. I've never seen my sister this motivated before, at least not with regards to a man," Argana replied, pouring as much salt in the wound as she could.
"No."
"What was that?" the amazon asked in an exaggerated tone, even going so far as to put a hand to her ear.
"NO!"
Finally, Argana lost her smirk as she fell on her butt at the force of Aiz's voice.
"No she is not! She is not claiming my Bell! EVER!"
Not a second later, Aiz was flying through the air back towards Athens.
"Oh this can't end well," Riveria said as she watched Aiz disappear, before turning back to Argana. "Once we're done cleaning up this mess, I'm dealing with you personally."
Bell sat in the library looking over some of the information Hades had provided him.
Dozens, maybe even a hundred Xenos smuggled into Athens over the last fifteen years, he thought looking over the reports. How did Hades-sama get this information?
He stopped, knowing he probably wouldn't want the answer to that question.
It doesn't matter, he said with a shake of his head. Not really. He's helping me save them, everything else is superfluous. Still, I wish Nix was here with me. He has a way of pulling me out of my thoughts.
The feisty rabbit had stayed behind this time after Bell found him snuggled up with Rue Bee. Seeing how she cuddled with the ball of fluff made it absolutely impossible for him to even consider taking the fluffy bunny along with him. He had simply asked the sweet little girl if she would mind looking after the white rabbit for the day, which she didn't in the least, and gave Nix a few goodbye pets before heading out.
Bell smiled at the memory before shaking his head again and smacking his cheeks a couple of times to help him focus.
"Self-harm is usually frowned upon, Bell-san."
The young man's head shot up.
"Hades-sama!" he said as he stood.
"Shh, not so loud, Bell. This is a library," the god of the Underworld playfully chided.
Bell blushed and nodded.
"May we?" Hades signaled towards the empty chairs.
"Of course," Bell replied quickly, making sure to control his voice.
"Thank you," Hades replied as he, Uriel, Leanna, and Laura all sat down. "So, was the information I gave you of any use?"
"Oh...yes. Yes it has been very helpful, or...at least I think it will be," Bell said as he looked down at the information strewn across the table.
"You're unsure of exactly how to use the information," Hades said.
Bell nodded.
"There are many things I want to do, but I know that 'want' and 'able' are two different things. Even if I am 'able' to do something, that doesn't necessarily make it 'wise' either."
"You are quite wise to recognize that," the god said, smiling at the young man.
Bell smiled in gratitude, but soon after lost it.
"I won't let this information go to waste though. I will figure out what I need to do and commit to it wholeheartedly, whatever it is and whatever the consequences."
Hades's smile grew and he nodded sagely.
"Good. Good. I knew I was going to like you, Bell-san. You are an interesting young man. More importantly, you have a good heart."
"I just do what I think is right," Bell said with a small blush.
"Which only proves my point. Most people sacrifice what is 'good' for what is 'convenient' or 'safe', at least a good chunk of the time. Even I've failed in that regard."
"Nonsense. You are a good man. The best I know," Uriel said.
Hades turned to her, his smile and eyes softening before he leaned in to kiss her.
"Thank you, my dear," he said before pulling away and turning back to Bell. "Still, I have put aside the 'good' and the 'right' for the sake of convenience before. If you can stick to the righteous path despite its hardships, then you are truly a good person Bell and I offer you my full support."
"You've already done more than enough," the young captain replied.
"There is never enough when it comes to goodness, Bell-san. Even if there was no evil in the world, one could still offer more goodness, decency, and joy to make the world that much brighter. So, while I know I haven't earned your trust yet, I offer my assistance without restraint."
Something about the god made Bell trust him. He could tell the god had secrets, but then again, who didn't? Yet, Bell could feel his genuineness. His compassion. His desire for good. It put a lot of Bell's wariness to ease. Not enough to trust the god of course, even Bell's legendary openness wouldn't allow him to trust the god after only a single day. Yet he did not think it would be long before he could trust Hades.
"Thank you, Hades-sama. You are right in that I can't trust you yet, but I do believe you are being honest with me. Even if there is something you are hiding, I am extremely grateful for the information you've given me. Without it, I am not sure how successful I would be in my search. So truly, thank you."
Hades, still smiling, actually gave Bell a humble bow.
"I am pleased to have earned such high praise. And fear not, I will continue to aid you with your quest, even with your completely understandable distrust. In fact, I will give you another important bit of information. Uriel."
The succubus began to quietly chant and a moment later she completed a spell that put a bubble around the surrounding area.
"There, now no one can overhear us. Now, onto the information," Hades said, becoming serious. "As you now know, these special monsters have been smuggled into Athens for years. What the scrolls don't tell you is that Athena is also aware of them."
"She is?" Bell asked, leaning in.
"Yes," Hades said with a nod. "She was probably one of the first to learn of them, clever girl that she is. She has been collecting them for years. Unfortunately I don't know where she has placed them, only the purpose behind her collection."
"That being?"
"To understand them," the god informed the young man. "She is trying to understand how they work. Why the Dungeon makes them. Why are they appearing now. And, of course, how much of a danger they present."
Bell felt a terrible feeling fill his gut and he quietly asked the god.
"How? How is she trying to find all this out?"
There was no mistaking what the young man was asking. What he feared Athena was doing. Certainly not for someone as intelligent as Hades. However, the god wasn't cruel and did not think it was necessary to make the boy suffer with...unpleasant imagery.
"That is unclear. It's entirely possible she talks to them, at least some of the time," he answered calmly. "Oh no doubt she wants to see if they're abilities are much different from monsters of the same type. Is a talking minotaur more powerful than a regular one, for example?"
Yes. If Asterius is any indication, Bell thought.
"Regardless, Athena does have them. I am working on finding out where she is hiding them, but, as you can imagine, she keeps that information on a very need to know basis," Hades said.
Bell nodded.
"Even so, I, or I should say we," he turned and smiled at his familia. "Will find them. I can assure you that."
That lifted Bell's spirits, though he was still very worried for the Xenos.
"Thank you, Hades-sama. I know I've said it before, but I truly can't express how much I appreciate your help," he said.
"And I assure you, once again, Bell-san, that it is my pleasure."
Hades and his familia had departed a short time ago, leaving Bell to sit in his chair and ponder what he'd heard.
There are Xenos here and Athena is doing something with them, or to them, his fists tightened as he knew what that suggested. I need to find them quickly and save them, even if it risks earning Athena's ire.
He wanted to go searching himself, but he knew that, in comparison to Hades and his familia, he was unlikely to find anything, no matter how dedicated he was. He also knew that there was really no point in staying in the library anymore given all he'd learned that day, and so he got up and gathered the books and scrolls he had taken from the library.
Before he could begin putting back everything he had gathered, he was confronted with one of the last people he expected to see.
"Hello, Bell-kun," Bache greeted, smiling underneath her mask.
"Bache-san," Bell replied in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to spend some time with you," she said gently.
Her words and tone immediately informed him what she truly desired and he tensed and blushed lightly. He wondered for a moment if he should restate his relationship with Aiz and request that she respect it, but he wasn't given the chance to make a decision on the matter as the amazon continued.
"Would you like some help with those?"
"Huh?" he saw her pointing at the books and scrolls still on the table. "Oh. Well...that would be appreciated. Thank you," he replied, giving her a small smile.
He could tell that his positive response pleased her and he wondered if he was being too nice. After a moment though, he pushed this aside.
There's no need to be rude.
The two began to put away all the items Bell had gathered and within a few minutes, everything was put away.
"Thank you very much, Bache-sa-"
Before he knew it, Bell was pushed to the ground and splayed out underneath the amazon like the ripe prey he was.
"B-Bache-san!" he cried, not caring that he was in a library. "What are you doing?!"
"I'm claiming you, Bell Cranel. I'm making you mine," she answered, her voice like silk and fire.
Before he could respond, she pulled off her mask, revealing her beautiful face. As much as he didn't want to, he couldn't help but blush at how stunning she was. That blush only got worse as her hands fell to her chest and she removed her top.
His eyes widened to near inhuman size as he took in the sight of her large, perky, caramel breasts.
"B-B-Ba-!"
She covered his mouth with her hand and placed a finger over her mouth.
"Shh. Please Bell-kun," she moved her hand to cup his cheek. "I don't want anyone to interrupt us."
He had no idea how to respond to that. Logically, he knew he needed to force her off of him, but that voice of reason was hidden under a mountain of confusion, arousal, and his old shy nature, which had reawaken due to the insane turn of events.
His inaction allowed Bache to move her other hand down and begin unbuttoning his pants, which promptly brought him back to reality.
"W-Wai-!"
Suddenly, before either of them could blink, Bache was sent flying across the library and crashed through a series of bookshelves.
Bell was frozen for a moment, not knowing what the hell had just happened, before his eyes turned and he froze again.
"A-A-Aiz!"
The Sword Princess looked positively terrifying. Her hair flowed around her like angry cobras primed to strike. She held Desperate in her hand with such bone-crushing might that it was a wonder the handle didn't bend, let alone break. Her eyes glowed with terrible, possessive rage and her wind whirled around her like a miniature hurricane.
Bache climbed out of the rubble of books and paper and centered her gaze on eyes.
"What are you doing here?" she growled.
"Protecting what's mine," Aiz responded through gritted teeth.
"He's not yours. Not until he's claimed, which, as you can see," Bache stood up straight, proudly displaying her body. "I was just about to do."
Aiz looked ready to kill her right then and there, but was prevented by the sudden arrival of the librarian.
"Athena, have mercy!" she cried. "What happened here?!" she turned to Aiz. "What did you do?!" she turned to Bache and her eyes widened into saucers as she blushed. "Why are you naked?!"
"Because I'm here to claim my man," Bache said, still completely unashamed.
"Your…?" the library turned her eyes to Bell, who was still lying on the ground. The moment she found him, her eyes turned ferocious. "This is your doing! You filthy, disgusting-"
The librarian was suddenly slapped so hard that she was knocked out. The culprit stood over her with burning gold eyes.
"Do not insult Bell," Aiz growled before refocusing on Bache. "He is my lover. Not yours."
She went back over to Bell, who had finally picked himself up, and stood before him.
"Aiz?" he asked nervously.
Before he could blink, she had used her free hand to force him into a kiss.
Once more, Bell's eyes widened as he found himself at the mercy of his lover, who was very intent at that moment to prove her claim. Her tongue had immediately forced its way into his mouth and began to so thoroughly conquer it one might have even called it 'defiled'. Bell wouldn't have, of course, though that may have been because, at the moment, his head was spinning out of control.
After a few minutes of uncontested conquest, Aiz pulled back, her breath labored and her eyes heavy. However, she wasn't done as her hand suddenly shifted down and grabbed his manhood.
"Ah!" he moaned as he bent over.
"This is mine!" she declared, glaring at Bache. "Mine! You hear? No one else's. And I'm going to prove that right now!"
Her hand retreated from the uncomposed Bell, and she put her sword back in its sheath. Not a second later, she picked up the rabbit-like young man, tossed him over her shoulder and gave Bache one final glare.
"Mine."
With that, Aiz disappeared, taking her lover along with her and leaving the half-naked amazon alone in the pile of books.
"Well," Bache said, a bit of disappointment in her voice. "That's not how I wanted things to go. Still, I'm not about to give up on my man. He's too strong to allow some other woman to have him. However," she smiled. "I have to give it to the Sword Princess. She knows how to take a man. Maybe she has a little amazon blood in her."
Aiz flew through the city all the way back to the palace. She then flew through the halls, not allowing anyone to stop her for even a moment, before she came to her and Bell's room.
She burst through the door, tossed her man on the bed, then slammed the door and locked it.
"No more waiting," she said as she strode over to Bell.
Bell, having had just enough time to regain his wits, stood up and held out his hands.
"Aiz, please-"
She cut him off with another passionate kiss that practically robbed him of his senses, before pulling back and repeating.
"No more waiting."
She began to remove her armor and weapons, only to be stopped when his hands grabbed hers.
Her burning eyes shot back to him.
"Bel-"
This time it was her who was cut off as the Red Dawn claimed her lips.
Unlike the fiery kiss of the Sword Princess, this kiss was gentle, sweet, and soothing. Within moments of getting over her surprise, Aiz felt her golden orbs close as she fell into the display of gentle adoration and quiet affection.
The kiss lasted some time, and it was meant to. It was meant to cool and wash away all the jealousy, frustration, and anger she was feeling and bring her to a calmer state of mind. It succeeded in that endeavor and when the two finally pulled apart, she smiled at him with soft, loving eyes.
"Bell," she cooed.
He smiled at her and brushed his knuckles against her cheek.
She wrapped his hand in hers as she pressed her cheek against his knuckles, practically purring as his skin gently brushed against hers.
"I don't want you angry during our first time together," he whispered.
She met his eyes and a wave of disappointment hit her.
"So I'll have to wait?"
To her surprise, he leaned in and kissed her again. This kiss was just as gentle, but lasted only a moment before he pulled back and shook his head.
"No." He took a step back, much to her displeasure. That displeasure was almost immediately replaced with shock as he pulled his shirt over his head, leaving his chest bare to her. "No more waiting. Tonight's the night you become mine and I become yours."
Her eyes sparkled like stars when those words reached her ears and she immediately pulled him into another kiss, which he happily returned.
Thus began the first night Bell Cranel and Aiz Wallenstein would join together as real lovers.
Ares sat on his portable throne, surrounded by his generals and officers.
He suddenly slammed his hand on the arm of the throne, startling all but Marius, who simply sighed.
"Since when does Athena call for outside help!" the god bellowed. "She has always been too proud to do that! Always! I would have figured she would throw up at the mere thought of turning to anyone for help, let alone Orario!"
"It is unlike her," Marius agreed. "Perhaps there is more going here that we are unaware of."
"It doesn't matter! Achilles Caesar is here in the city. The Olympian, himself!" Ares roared as he jumped to his feet. "We'd heard he had returned, but the fact that he's here is infuriating. And he's not alone! Ottar, the Sword Princess, and a whole host of other, powerful adventurers have joined him to fight against us."
"Including Welf Crozzo," Marius pointed out.
Ares calmed a bit at hearing that name, though he was still far from at ease.
"That's the one positive about this situation. The possibility of getting our hands on magic weapons again. If we can do that, even the great Olympian will have difficulty against us."
I wonder about that, Marius thought, but did not voice, not wanting to give himself an Ares-inspired headache.
"But we're still in a difficult position. No, not difficult, a shitty situation!" the god roared. "We need a distraction. Something to turn their attention away from our operations."
"I believe that's what she's for," Marius said as his eyes turned.
Ares and the other mortals turned as well, their eyes landing on a hooded figure, sitting off to the side.
"That's right," Ares said. "You have sat in reserve for long enough. It is time for you and your 'Evilus' friends to earn your pay."
The hooded figure stood and approached.
"What precisely did you have in mind?" a chilly, feminine voice asked.
"We are preparing to go on the offensive again and have mustered our forces at key locations. No doubt the Athenians have noticed and are preparing to send reinforcements, namely the Orario adventurers. You need to keep them far away from the battlefield, preferably within Athens itself. To that end you may do whatever you wish. Distract them however you can with whatever methods you want. Burn villages. Kidnap children. Unleash those spiders of yours, I don't care. Just distract them," Ares ordered.
The woman finally met the god's eyes, her poison green eyes holding little more than malice.
"Fine," she replied as a spider crawled up her pale cheek.
And complete.
Now, now, don't start screaming at me until you read this next part.
I am not skipping over the Bell X Aiz lemon. I'm pretty sure if I did, a few of you would hunt me down and flay me. No, that's not what's happening. In fact, the exact opposite. The next chapter will be entirely, completely, and only the Bell X Aiz lemon (okay maybe some other important bits and a cliff-hanger, but the lemon WILL be the focus). Bell and Aiz will finally have their moment together, so no need to be angry. Also, that's fair warning to anyone who prefers to skip lemons. So yeah, the next chapter is the Bell X Aiz lemon. No need to be mad, to hunt me down, or to flay me. It's finally happening. Okay? Okay. Moving forward.
So, other than the Bell X Aiz lead-up, what did you guys think? Again, not one of my largest chapters, but certainly not one of the shortest. Got to see a bit of Zeus/Hera familia action, Bache tried to get some, only to get cock-blocked royally, and Haruhime has given Aiz something...interesting to think about.
I do want to give the lesser seen characters more screen-time, but it's not always easy to fit time with them into my plans. Even so, I will keep working on it. If need be, I'll even make a side-series to give them some extra love.
Well, that's really all for now. Once again, please share your thoughts in the reviews, I do read what you have to say, and appreciate the feedback. With that, I'm out, so, until then, bye for now.